Homogenizer for liquids



Sept. 23 1924.

F. X. o. TRUDEL HOMOGENIZER FOR LIQUIDS Filed Feb. 19, 1923 Patented Sept. 23, I1924.

UNITED STATES FRANCOIS XAVIER O'VDE TRUDEL, OF VMON'IFBI'lAIa, QUEBEC, CANADA.

EOMOGENIZEB FOB LIQUIDS.

Application lcd February To all wlwm t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCOIS .XAVIER vOviiiii TRUDEL, of the city of Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada, have invented 'I certain new andr useful Improvements in Homogenizers forl Liquids; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of in invention.

My invention relates to omogenizers for.

` A further object is to provide a machine of that class in which ample space is al- ,lowed to permit an easy packing of the piston rods and assembling of the various parts generally. l I v 2B A still further object is to provide a machine which will be'operated by 'direct drive without the encumbrance of noisy intermediate gearing.

A still further andmost particularly important object is toprovide an homogenizer which may be operated with a fraction of the ressure andpower heretofore necessary in t e operation of the machines hewn and used before my invention,thereby obtaining a machine offering advantages and facilities in the manufacture of saine, as well as in its maintenance and eiiiciency. t'

ller the purpose of a clear understanding oit my inventions, a denition ot homogeniaation of liquids may 'be necessary.

lt is a process by which the globules'held in suspension and lorming part ot the liquid aruhrolreu up, crushed and pulveriaed into minute particles, so small in tact that they are no longer discernihly distinct trom one another and they become so closely united and intermired as to dorm an inseparable homogeneous mass which has the pro erty oi remaining in that condition indeitely.

That condition ol the liquid is obtained by itorciug it through contracted passages too narrow to allow oil the globules passing lill) a machine 1.9, 1923. Serial No. 620,092.

through without being broken up .I and disintegrated.

It. has also been attempted to homogenize liquids by forcing them through a valve pressed a ainst its seat by springs, so that the liqui in impinging against the valve lifted it against the resistance of the spring and was therefore subjected to a crushing action which desintegrated' the larger globules and made the liquid more homogeneous.

In such a process as heretofore known the necessity of large working area made it ditiicult to maintain the valve in perfect working order and it furthermore required a large amount of power to run the machine, and the sprin that held the valvepressed on its seat ha to be compressed to its maximum limit of elasticity. The above mentioned conditions were mostly detrimental to good eiciency of the different parts of Y the machine, 1particularly valves and packings which on y lasted a short time in operation and had to be renewed so that such a process proved too expensive to carry out.

I have found that the homo enization of liquids is not, as it was formerly thought to be, dependent upon the contact area of the valve but on the len h of the inner or entering contour of said valve with its seat, that is, that the homogenization takes place immediately when the globules come in contact with the inner edge of the contact surface and is absolutely independent of the surface of contact beyond that edge.

With this fact established it is obvious that to homogenize a xed quantity of liquid in a given time, the longer the entering edge of contact the lower the pressure required will be, since the high pressure in the previous maces was necessary to maintain the space between the valve and its seat sumciently small to edectively brealr up the globules. ln my new valve, the surface of contact being only a narrow ring of relatively large diameter it will require much less pressure to maintain the required space between the valve and its seat as a smallerquantity of liquid per unit length of edge will have to llow under the valve to give a required volume per hour.

ereiore, only a traction ot the pressure lili) heretofore required is necessary for a perfect and complete homogenization, thereby insuring longer life to the machines and obtainin a great economy of power in the operation thereof.

With the above objects and advantages in view my invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts, such as will be hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings which form part of this specification, g

Fig. 1" is a longitudinal cross section of the machine showing the homogenizing valve and cylinders as .well as crosshead, connecting rod and eccentric strap, eccentric and shaft.

Fig. 2 is a top View of same showing the arrangement and interrelation of the different parts.

Fig. 3 is a front view showing the disposition of air bulb and manometer, homogenizing valve and parts yrelated thereto;

this figurealso shows the safety valve.

'F ig. 4 shows an enlarged cross section of the safety valve.

Fig. 5 shows an enlarged cross section of the homogenizing valve.

Fig. 6 shows the construction of the cylinder unions.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates the driving pulley, 2 the main shaft bearings and covers, 3 the main shaft, 4 the eccentrics, 5 the eccentric straps, 6 the connecting rods, 7 the crossheads, 8 the crohead slide and covers, 9 the plungers, 10 the c linder support and cover, 11 the cylinders.

he cylinders 11 are held to the frame by the cylinders support 10 and each one of them is provided, within its head, with one inlet valve 12 and one outlet valve 13 they are furthermore all connected at their lower part, to a suction pipe 14 which is connected to the strainer 15 which receives the liquid from the reservoir. The cylinders are also provided at their upper part, with special unions of which 16 is the gland 17 the key and 18 the nut; these unions form the outlet of the cylinders and convey the milk through the homogenizing valve seat 19 and under the homogenizing valve 20 which rests on the ring 21 provided in said seat No. 19 and is pressed on said ring by rod 22, which is provided with' a spring washer 23 and a spring 24 which receives its pressure from t e screwin up of the casing 25 by means of the han wheel 26, on the block 27 to which by' means of the union 28 is connected the three way cock 29 forming the outlet of the liquid from the machine.

Above said block 27 is also provided inside its upper part, with a stuffing box gland 30 which presses the packing 31 around the rod 22 so as to revent milk from passing up into the spring chamber and causing the spring to rust.

Considering a three cylindermachine all the above mentioned parts beginning with the homogenizing valve seat 19 and those related to it are mounted on one ofthe cylinders while another one carries an air chamber 32 which absorbs the vibrations in a pressure gauge 33 mounted upon said air chamber.

The third cylinder is rovided with a safety valve seat 34 provi ed with a safety valve 35, an upper spring washer 36 and a lower spring washer 37 as well as a spring 38 and a spring casing 39 having screwe in its side, a relief cock4 40 and a spring adjustment screw 41 at its upper part together with an adjustment screw casing 42.

In those machines'ha ving more than 3 cylinders, the cylinders over 3 are simply plugged up only three cylinders being equipped with the above described parts.

When the plunger 9 moves backward the liquid is drawn from the reservoir through the pipe 43, the strainer 15, the suction pipe 14, the inlet valve 12, and into the lunger chamber; when the plunger 9 moves orward it closes the suction or inlet valve 12 and lifts the outlet valve 13 forcing the liquid through the cylinder unions and homogenizing valve seat 19 to the homogenizing valve .20 which rests on a narrow annular protrudivigl rib 21 provided in the valve seat 19.

en the liquid comin through seat 19 is forced against edge o rib 21 in contact with valve 20 the globules are broken, crushed and pulverized so com letely that the result is a homogeneous r uct.

After the liquid has pa under the elastically pressed homogenizing valve 20 it is conveyed out of the machine through the union 28 and the three-way valve 29 from wlhence it may be directed to any convenient p ace.

While the plunger goes forward the pressure will be communicated to the pressure gauge 33 through the air chamber 32 and the gauge will thus give the necessary indications. I n case the pressure should exceed the safety limit, the safety valve 35 will be lifted from its seat and a small amount' of the liquid will pass out through the relief cock 40 thus'relieving the pressure and preventin accidents.

he foregoing will convey a clear understanding o my invention and mode of operation of same as disclosed in the preferred 'form of the machine which has been described and shown therein; but I do not wish to confine my invention to this preferred form of machine as many changes in the construction and arrangement of parts thereof may be made which would fall within the scope of my invention as set forth in the following claims.

Having fully described my invention what I claim is:

l. In a liquid homogenizer a valve in cornbination with a valve seat having an annular rib adapted to contact with the valve in its seated position the contacting area of the valve and rib being relatively small.

2. In a liquid homogenizer a valve in combination with a valve seat having a concentric annular rib adapted to contact with the valve, said rib being located between the centre vand the outer circumference of said valve seat the contacting area of the valve and rib being relatively small.

3. In a liquid homogenizer an elastically seated valve, in combination with a valve seat and means on said valve seat whereby the Icontact of the valve with the valve seat will be on an annular portion of said seat and valve, remote from the centre and from the outer circumference of said valve and valve seat the contacting area of the valve and rib being relatively small.

4. In a liquid homogenizer, a valve in combination with a valve seat having an annular rib adapted to contact with the valve in its seated position, the contacting area of the valve and rib bein relatively small, and the entering contour line of said valve and rib being relatively long, as and for the purpose specled.

5. In a homogenizer for liquids, a plurality of separately cast pump cylinders communicating together, a valve on one of the cylinders in communication therewith through a valve seat having a concentric annular rib located between the centre and the outer circumference of said valve seat, the contacting area of the valve and valve seat being relatively small and located remote from an inlet'opening to said valve seat, 4an air chamber on another of said cylinders and a pressure gauge communicating with same, a safety va ve upon a third cylinder, plungers for the aforesaid cylinders, and means for actuating said plunger.

Signed at Montreal, Province of Quebec, this 12th day of February 1923.

FRANCOIS XAVIER OVIDE TRUDEL.

Witnesses:

J. EMILE CARBONNEAU, H. TRUDEL. 

